Our Head of the Department of International Relations, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Çağla Gül Yesevi, commented on Israel's attacks on Gaza to Demirören News Agency (DHA).

Stating that the attacks launched by Israel on Gaza on October 7, 2023, had very serious consequences, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Çağla Gül Yesevi said, “Even before October 7, Gaza was under Israeli blockade. Gaza can be seen as an open-air prison. Israel violates the law of war, international law, and humanitarian law. Civilians are being killed, and Palestinians are being tested with hunger and poverty. We are witnessing a huge massacre.”

Prof. Dr. Yesevi said, “The Palestinian territories consist of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. In 1988, the state of Palestine was declared and is today recognised by 146 of the 193 member states of the United Nations. It was granted ‘non-member observer state’ status at the United Nations General Assembly on November 29, 2012. However, the territorial integrity of the Palestinian state is still in question. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority controls the West Bank. The West Bank is divided into Areas A, B, and C and remains under Israeli control. In Palestinian areas, the demographic structure has been destroyed by Jewish settlements encouraged by Israel. Israel has not accepted the two-state solution. After 1948, Palestinians were confined to 22 percent of their land and could not claim more after 1967, but now, with illegal settlers, their area of control has been reduced to 18 percent. On October 7, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, attacked first with rockets and then by crossing the border, killing 1,200 Israelis. In the Israeli attacks that started afterwards, the Palestinian casualties are increasing every day. At the time of writing, the number of Palestinians killed was 41,825. I should mention that 17,000 of them were children and more than 11,000 were women.”

“War Has Spread in the Region”

Describing the process after October 7 as ‘We are witnessing a huge massacre’, our professor said the following about Israel's actions within a year:

“Israel violates the law of war, international law, and humanitarian law. Civilians are being killed, and Palestinians are being tested with hunger and poverty. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that they would apply a complete blockade on Gaza with the following words: “No electricity, no food, no fuel, everything will be out of use.” For Palestinians, there is nowhere to flee, and they are being killed daily by bombs. There are unaccompanied children missing in Gaza, their parents dead. Houses, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, mosques, media organisations, and refugee camps were hit by Israeli bombardment. The offices of the United Nations, the guardian of peace, were hit, and its officials were killed. The freedom of the media was ignored, and members of the media were also shot. Israeli attacks were not limited to Gaza. Israel has also attacked the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. Iran, with its proxy forces, is actively participating in this process. It resulted from Israel's attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh and Hassan Nasrallah, and Iran's intervention in Israel with rockets and kamikaze UAVs on April 13 and October 1, 2024. War is expanding in the region, Israel is bombing Hezbollah from the air.”

“The US Must Say ‘Stop’ to Civilian Deaths”

Prof. Dr. Yesevi summarised the approach of Islamic countries after the war in the past year as follows:

“The Hamas attacks of October 7 had serious consequences. The Israeli attacks that followed once again forced Palestinians to flee their homes, destroyed their communities, and caused tens of thousands of casualties. Palestine was the main agenda of the Arab-Israeli conflict for many years. Many Arab-Israeli wars took place in this regard. However, especially with the Abrahamic Treaties of 2020, this unity on the ‘Palestinian issue’ disappeared. Palestine has become isolated; the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia have normalised their relations with Israel. Netanyahu's ‘favour map’ is an important indicator. In this sense, the Islamic world is not one body and one voice behind Palestine, and states act according to their national interests. Türkiye and Iran have embraced the issue. Qatar and Egypt have made efforts for peace. However, they could not be effective. In order to solve this problem, the US must say ‘stop’ to civilian deaths. Unless an initiative is taken in this respect, peace is unlikely to come. I must emphasise that the most valuable contribution came from South Africa. The Republic of South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice on the grounds of ‘committing genocide against the Palestinian people’, and Türkiye requested to intervene in the case.”

“The UN Resolutions are Advisory”

Noting that the problematic structure of the United Nations Security Council and the fact that the five permanent members have the right of veto cause Israel's unlawful and cruel behaviour to be condoned, our professor stated that a draft resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024, demanding Israel to end its ‘unlawful presence’ in Gaza and the West Bank within 1 year, but the decisions taken at the United Nations General Assembly are advisory and are not binding. Prof. Dr. Yesevi summarised the United Nations' handling of the process over the past year:

“A state subjected to armed aggression has the right of defence until the United Nations Security Council takes action. However, Israel has used excessive, disproportionate, and unlawful use of force. It disregarded the emergency ceasefire decision taken by the United Nations Security Council. Under the laws of war, Israel was obliged to refrain from behaviour that would cause unnecessary pain and suffering, to treat prisoners, the sick, the wounded, and the civilian population humanely, and to work for the establishment of peace. But none of these were considered. The problematic structure of the United Security Council and the veto power of the five permanent members led to Israel's unruly and cruel behaviour being tolerated. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip is illegal and must end as soon as possible. Accordingly, Israel has consistently abused its position as an occupying power. Israel is obliged to compensate the Palestinians for the damage caused, to stop all new Jewish settlement activity, and to evacuate all settlers from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. But these declarations mean nothing to Israel.”

“Responsible Reporting is Very Important”

Prof. Dr. Yesevi also evaluated the content and role of social media in the Israeli-Palestinian war process, noting that the massacre was witnessed on live broadcast, stated that the images in which Israel's right to defence is emphasised even today and the Israeli leader is applauded are watched over and over again. Stating that there is a reporting in which the Palestinian flag is banned, and sharing is blocked, Prof. Dr. Yesevi said, “The most dangerous thing is that the media is broadcasting in a way that looks forward to a new attack. When will Israel attack? When is Iran's counterattack?’ headlines fill the screens. Constantly bringing Israel's attacks to the forefront leads to the image of a stronger state than the existing one. Theological explanations, references to sacred religious texts, and the use of maps of the future create anxiety. In this sense, responsible reporting is very valuable; the media not only presents the news but also constructs the news and the world.”

Our Head of Department of Radio, Television and Cinema, Assoc. Prof. Perihan Taş Öz was a guest on the “Regional Agenda” program, broadcast on TRT Antalya Radio, on Thursday, October 3. In the program, our professor shared her opinions and evaluations about the workshop and the festival as the Chairperson of the 61st International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Cinema Workshop Organizing Committee.

Our faculty members and graduates from the Department of Industrial Engineering participated in the 43rd National Congress of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering, held in Trabzon between October 2-4, to present their work. Istanbul Kültür University Department of Industrial Engineering was one of the top three universities in the congress with the highest number of participants this year, just like last year. 

The papers presented at the congress are as follows:

A Mixed Integer Programming Model for Optimizing the Distribution Network of a Packaging Company
Authors: Ecenur Bağrıyanık, Begüm Buse Erturan, Şeyda Zahide Gündoğdu, Afra Alev, Eylül Akkaya, Assist. Prof. Duygun Fatih Demirel

Airline Crew Pairing Optimization: A Column Generation Approach
Authors: Gökçe Mol, Dilay Erdem, Elif Akman, Asena Kırışoğlu, Prof. Dr. Murat Ermiş

Using the Uta Method for Sustainable Decisions in Ceramic Tile Production
Authors: Yaren Kaçar, Sena İrem Biçer, Ayberk Filiz, Emine Şeyma Durmuş, Duygu Kuş, Assist. Prof. Zeynep Gergin

Improving LC Waikiki's E-Commerce Warehouse Operations Using Lean Techniques
Authors: Selin Ormancı, Selen Arıgün, Buse Öner, Damla Çakmak, Prof. Dr. Tülin Aktin

A Sustainability-Oriented Approach to Determining Earthquake Debris Collection Areas for Istanbul European Side Districts
Authors: Assist. Prof. Duygun Fatih Demirel, Eylül Damla Gönül Sezer

Investigation of Simulation Models Developed for Last Mile Logistics Planning for Post-Disaster First Responders
Authors: Res. Assist. Oğuz Emir, Assist. Prof. Okay Işık, Prof. Dr. Murat Ermiş

Prof. Dr. Turgut Uzel from the Department of Civil Engineering has accepted the invitation of the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Earth Sciences (e-ISSN: 2328-5982), an international journal registered with CSI, and has been elected as a member of the “Editorial Committee” due to the profound impact of his scientific article titled “Tectonic Movements in Lands Surrounded by Faults Are Different from Their Surroundings,” published in Geomatic. We wish our esteemed professor success in this important role.

As the UNESCO Bursa Site Chairperson, Prof. Dr. Neslihan DOSTOĞLU, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, delivered a presentation titled “From the Traces of the Past to Future Goals in Mudanya: Expectations and Responsibilities” at the “International Mudanya Armistice and Cultural Legacy Symposium,” held at the Tirilye Cultural Center in Mudanya on October 4-5, in cooperation with Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Bursa Uludağ University, Mudanya Municipality, the ÇEKÜL Foundation, and Bursa School, on the occasion of the hundred and second anniversary of the Mudanya Armistice.

History Professor Cemal Kafadar of Harvard University made the opening speech at the international symposium, where various aspects of the Mudanya Armistice—during which the military phase of the War of Independence ended, the legal process began, and the groundwork for the Lausanne Peace Treaty was prepared—were discussed, along with evaluations of cultural heritage and predictions for the future.

Architect Caner Bilgin and Architect Begüm Yılmaz Bilgin, graduates of IKU Department of Architecture, participated in the Faculty Opening Panel organized by Istanbul Kültür University Faculty of Architecture at the beginning of the 2024-2025 Fall Semester. The panel titled “Possibilities” was held on Monday, October 7, 2024, under the moderation of Assist. Prof. Emre Arslan from Istanbul Kültür University Faculty of Architecture.

The panel, which was enhanced by the questions of students and faculty members, focused on the experiences and design approaches of Caner Bilgin, one of Europe's best emerging young architects and designers under the age of 40, and Begüm Yılmaz Bilgin, who received the Arkitera Young Architect Award in 2024.

The Istanbul Kültür University Vocational School 2024-2025 Fall Semester Academic Board Meeting was held on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, under the leadership of our Vocational School Director, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özer. The agenda of the meeting, which was attended by the academic staff, included new semester plans and issues for the development of the Vocational School. The meeting, where ideas and suggestions were exchanged and suggestions were made for the agenda topics, was concluded with the congratulations of the faculty members whose appointments and doctoral graduations took place.

Officials from the Türkiye Knitwear Industrialists Association (TRİSAD) visited Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Vocational School on Monday, October 7, 2024. During the meeting, the first steps were taken for projects that can be implemented in the Fashion Design Program in the 2024-2025 Academic Year.

The “Reproductive Health and Endocrine Disruptors Training,” organized under the leadership of Assist. Prof. Mukaddes Turan Miral, Head of the Department of Nursing at IKU Faculty of Health Sciences, has received TÜBİTAK 2237-A support!

During the training held on October 10-11, participants were informed about reproductive health and endocrine disruptors by experts in the field.

We congratulate our academician and their team on this important achievement.

In cooperation with the IKU Vocational School and the Civil Aviation Club, an event titled “Aviation Talks-2” was held on Tuesday, October 8, at 11:00 AM in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus. As a speaker at the event, Mehmet Tevfik Nane, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of PEGASUS Airlines, discussed the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector. By sharing his experiences in the aviation industry, Nane helped our students enhance their sectoral awareness.

Within the scope of the “MIM0080 Diploma Project” and “ARC0080 Graduation Project” courses conducted jointly in the Department of Architecture, guest speakers (Defne Akşin Akyol, Res. Assist. İdil Akkuzu and Murat Bayram) made presentations on the project topic titled “A Destination for Ecotourism in Delmece Plateau Nature Park” in Yalova on Wednesday, September 18.

Res. Assist. Buğra Mert Alkayalar from the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema was invited to the press meeting of the Laser IMAX technology brought to Türkiye for the first time by Cinenova. The opening of the new IMAX was followed by a press conference and a screening of the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux” at Marmara Forum Shopping Mall on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. The event was hosted by Cinenova Founder Muzaffer Yıldırım and IMAX Senior Vice President John Schreiner. Laser IMAX technology was presented as the best cinema experience in Türkiye, featuring vivid, saturated colors in true 4K image quality and a 12-channel sound system.

After the event, Res. Assist. Buğra Mert Alkayalar informed students about the working principles of Laser IMAX, its differences from existing IMAX technology, and the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

Within the scope of #GameTalks events, the Department of Digital Game Design held a panel talk focusing on the importance of narrative in digital games with the participation of Lecturer Özgür Bulut Gümrükcü, on Tuesday, October 8. Gümrükcü provided insights to students about the relationship between Japanese culture and game production, discussing how artistic elements influence player experience through various examples. A short storyboard workshop was also conducted in the final segment of the event.

The Animal Protection and Sustenance Club held an introductory meeting on Wednesday, September 25, in classroom 1A 03-05 in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus to help members get acquainted with each other. During the event, students shared their own experiences and answered questions about the club.

Within the scope of the “MIM0080 Diploma Project” and “ARC0080 Graduation Project” courses, conducted by Prof. Dr. Neslihan Dostoğlu, Assoc. Prof. Gamze Alptekin, Lecturer Dr. Suzan Sanlı Esin and Res. Assist. Merve Aksoy Oral in the Department of Architecture, a project trip to the “Delmece Plateau Nature Park” in Yalova was organized on Wednesday, September 25.

The LIFT UP Program, run by TAI, is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 period! This program provides senior undergraduate students the opportunity to work on industry-oriented graduation projects in TAI's fields of activity. With guidance from TAI's expert engineers and academic advisors, participants can contribute to significant projects in aviation and space, with support of up to 30,000 TL.

* For details and application: https://liftup.tusas.com
* To review application criteria: https://kariyer.tusas.com/liftup

We encourage the esteemed students of our university to take advantage of this unique opportunity!

The Psychology Club organized a meet-and-greet event at Ataköy Saray Muhallebicisi on Monday, September 30, for the members to get to know each other.

Within the scope of the “Architectural Design 3 (ARC0003)” course conducted by Assoc. Prof. Asiye Akgün Gültekin, Assist. Prof. Z. Ayşe Gökşin, and Assist. Prof. Altuğ Sarıyar from the Department of Architecture, a technical trip was organized to Koşuyolu, the project area, on Monday, October 8, 2024.

The Leadership and Management Club organized an introductory meeting on Friday, October 4, to help members get to know each other and learn about the club.

Zeynep Ceren Söğüt, a 2023 graduate, participated as a speaker in the seminar held on Thursday, October 10, as part of the “ENC1001-Engineering Orientation” course given in the Department of Industrial Engineering. Söğüt, who continues her career as Fuel Supply Assistant Specialist at Istanbul Jet, made a presentation on lifelong learning.

Within the scope of the FRESCO project carried out by the IAU OAE Centre Italy (I-OAE), and in which we are involved as Istanbul Kültür University, an international workshop titled “FRESCO Residency Meeting” will be held between October 13-16, 2024 ( between 09.00-18.00 ) at the Erdal İnönü Seminar Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

In cooperation with Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Youth Office and the TR Ministry of Youth and Sports, a “Fight Against Addiction” training session will be organized to raise awareness among students about the fight against addiction. The event, where Narco Guide Police Officer Ozan Yelgel will be a speaker, will be held on Monday, October 14, at 13.00, at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Bakırköy campus Ataköy building.

In cooperation with the Department of International Relations and the Department of International Trade and Finance, a conference titled “Russia-Ukraine Relations on the Axis of Identity and Security and the Current Situation in the War” will be organized. The event, where Assist. Prof. Ayşegül Ketenci from the Department of International Trade and Finance, will be a speaker, will be held on Tuesday, October 15th, at 11:00 at the Küçükçekmece Campus Conference Hall.

The Industrial Engineering Club will organize a “Department Introductions” event to support students' career planning processes. The event, where Müge Kılıç from Papara, Merve Elmas and Ertekin Özturgut from Toyoto and Cüneyt Acar from Tüpraş will be the speakers, will be held on Tuesday, October 15, between 12.00-18.00, at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Bakırköy Campus Ataköy Building.

The "MASTED" workshop will be organized by the National Astronomy Education Coordinator NAEC Team Türkiye, in collaboration with Istanbul Kültür University, the Italian Center of the International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy Education (I-OAE), and the Turkish Astronomical Association (TAD). The workshop, which will be attended by astronomy education experts and official country representatives from 18 different countries, will be hosted by the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus between October 16-20.

“Youth Mental Health Studies Seminar’ will be organised in cooperation with the Dean of Students” Office, Kültür Point Professional Career Development Coordinatorship, School of Foreign Languages, and Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports. The event, where Expert Psychologist Seçil Yüzal will be the speaker, will be held on Wednesday, October 16 at 12:00 at the School of Foreign Languages on the Bahçelievler campus.

Within the scope of the ‘Building Science II’ course given in the Department of Architecture, ‘Ytong Wall Application’ event will be organised in which the construction stages of a sample wall pattern will be shown to the students practically. The event, which will be attended by YTONG Project Application Manager Civil Engineer Gökhan Özkan, will be held on Wednesday, October 16th, between 13:00 and 16:00 in the backyard of the Ataköy building in the Bakırköy campus.

‘Mendeley Reference Management User Training’ will be organised by the Head of University Library. The training, which will be given by Elsevier Customer Research and Analysis Consultant Saide Sak, will be held online on Wednesday, October 16 at 14:00.

In cooperation with the New Media and Communication Club and the Department of New Media and Communication, an interview titled ‘How to Do Viral Marketing?’ will be organised in order to inform students about viral marketing strategies used for brands to be noticed and grow rapidly. The event, where Ege Tuna Diken, Founder of Influera Agency, will be a speaker, will be held on Wednesday, October 16 at 14:00 on the 4th floor multi-purpose hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

Istanbul Kültür University Art Gallery (IKUSAG) opens its 2024-2025 season with the exhibition ‘Türkiye of Independence 1922, Ankara Summer’ through the eyes of Yevgeni Lansere. The exhibition, which will include Lansere's paintings and sketches recoloured with artificial intelligence by Russian artist Sergey Golovaçyev, will be opened to visitors on Wednesday, October 16 at 15:00 at IKUSAG Exhibition Hall in the Ataköy building. Organised in collaboration with Cumhuriyet Newspaper, the exhibition will be open to visitors until November 22.

In cooperation with the Department of International Trade and Finance and Yanındayız Association, ‘Zero Tolerance to Violence on My Campus: Gender and Dating Violence Training’ will be organised. The event, where Assoc. Prof. Feyza Ak Akyol and Prof. Dr. İpek Merçil from Galatasaray University will be the speakers, will be held on Thursday, October 17 at 11:00 am in the ZD-4 lecture theatre in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

In cooperation with the Effective Communication Club and the Department of Communication Arts, an interview titled "Boundaries in the World of Advertising" will be organised to inform students about what the limitations in the advertising world cause and how we should act despite the boundaries. The event, where Advertising Copywriter Başak Görel will be a speaker, will be held on Thursday, October 17 at 11:00 in the 4th floor multi-purpose hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

‘Life Development Trainings’ will be organised by the Dean of Students Office - Kültür Point Professional Career Development Coordinatorship in order to show individuals what is wrong in their personal lives and to teach them new knowledge. The training to be given by Psychologist Dr. Serap Duygulu under the title "Social Media and Digital Lives" will be held on Thursday, October 17th, between 16:00 and 19:00 in the 3rd floor multi-purpose hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.